


From Lover To Beloved

by Fandom_girl21



Category: Dark Artifices Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Mark and Kieran endgame, The Confrontation, proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-21
Updated: 2016-03-21
Packaged: 2018-05-28 04:28:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6315031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fandom_girl21/pseuds/Fandom_girl21
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The long awaited confrontation between Kieran, Cristina and Mark.</p>
            </blockquote>





	From Lover To Beloved

Mark sighed closing the acorn shut and whispered the name of person who it should find. He threw it out the window.

They met in the desert a couple of nights later. Kieran was waiting for him, he looked more gaunt than usual.

"Mark."

Kieran greeted him, his voice was strained. Mark inwardly steeled himself, he had to stop worrying, Kieran wasn't his priority now, not anymore.

Mark sighed, he wrung his hands.  
He finally looked up at him.

"I need your help. Julian and Emma need to go to the Unseelie court, and you're the only whose been there, whose grown up there... Will you help prepare them?"

Kieran stiffened. He knew Mark hadn't called him for a personal reason, but he didn't think he'd call him for such an absurd request.

"Are you going?"

Mark shook his head,

"I do not wish to be thrown in jail."

Kieran raised an eyebrow,

"And why would you be thrown in jail?"

Mark shrugged, giving a sly smile.

"Well I'm assuming after I punch the king I won't be able to just walk out of the court."

Kieran's hand curled into the rock behind him. He wanted more than and anything to cross the distance between them and — he swallowed he wouldn't allow himself to follow that train of thought. It only led to itchy fingers and lonely nights.

"How do you prepare one for cruelty? My loyalty it to The Hunt. I cannot leave them to help you."

Even if I wanted to. He added silently.

Mark could feel fire roar under his skin. How dare they call Kieran family? His sweet, kind Kieran? The one who protected him when he had nothing to gain? If he knew a way to kill The King he would. Kieran didn't deserve to be exiled, he was too perfect.

Out loud Mark said,

"I will speak to Gwyn. I will try to show him how much your aid will mean for The Fae."

Kieran nodded he leaned his head against the rough rock face. He didn't have enough words to tell Mark how bad of an idea this whole thing was. But he relented. He would be with Mark, he would not be his yes, but at least he could see him again.

Which was how Kieran found himself weeks later in the LA Institute. His back against the wall in the library when he felt her gaze. He turned, his two toned eyes shinning with mirth.

"Well hello, I don't believe we've been formally introduced."

"Kieran. I'm Cristina. Why are you here?"

Kieran shrugged moving away from the wall.

"Does it honestly matter?"

"Yes."

She came toward him, crossing her arms.

"Why?"

She sighed and looked away.

"You hurt him, you broke him. Do you even love him? No tricks, no half truths. I want the truth."

She looked back up at him fire in her eyes. He only smirked back. Though his voice was solemn when he answered.

"Very well. I love him. I'll always love him. He betrayed me by leaving as I knew he would, but still I love him. Is that enough truth for you Cristina?"

The door to the library opened making them turn. Mark looked at them both, Kieran sucked in his breath he had heard every word.

"Cristina may I have a word?"

Kieran sent Cristina one last look before leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

"Mark look I know you don't want me interfering. But if we're going to need his help, I want to know where he stands."

Mark shook his head.

"That is not for you to know. Kieran came only because I asked him to. He didn't need to, he certainly didn't need to be truthful to you. Why can't you see that?"

"It was a debt Mark, not love. Why can't you see that?"

Mark shook his head again, crossing his arms.

"Was it a debt for me to love him back? Was it a debt for me to give my heart to him when he never asked for it? The fae value promises you know that. They also value consent, they have to when they cannot lie. He never asked for anything I did not already want to give him."

Cristina sighed clenching her hands. How could she make him see?

"Fine if he loved you shouldn't he want you to be happy? Shouldn't he want what's best for you?"

"To him being together was what was best for me. Racing through the sky the wind around us, the cries of the dead below us was what made me happy. When we had nothing but possibilities stretched in front of us... When we had freedom that was when we were at our best. He wants me to be happy Little Rose both of you do. Though both of your ideas of my happiness are different."

"So tell us what it is."

They both turned to see Kieran leaning on the door jam his eyes only for Mark.

He smiled and spoke again,

"Tell us what makes you happy. If it is not the hunt, if it was never the hunt what was it? What makes your blood sing my darling?"

Mark leaned back against the wall.

"Kieran it was never The Hunt, it was you that made my blood sing. Your touch, your smile, your love,"

He turned to Cristina.

"My family makes me happy, you make me smile. But,"

He paused and looked between them.

"I cannot choose between the two. Kieran my love you have my heart. You always have and always will. However my family has my smile, my laughter. My love I will not ask you join me, I know you will not. I know you're loyalty is to The Hunt. Though know this, if you ever wish to come I will be waiting. No matter how many I lay with, my heart is yours."

Kieran looked away, his hair changing colors quickly, the tips finally settling on a golden hue. Cristina resisted the urge to leave the room. She wouldn't leave him alone with a fae again.

When Kieran spoke his voice was soft,

"You can lie half-blood. You can let someone else have your heart. You can marry another. You who are mortal will forget me."

Cristina's hands clenched, how dare this bratty Prince speak like that to him. Mark shook his head, his hand coming to gently turn Kieran's face toward him. Kieran's anger was only a shield.

"Kier, how can I make you see you're wrong? How can I show you alone have my heart."

Kieran blinked, his hands clenched at his sides. He exhaled, his hand coming to the cover Mark's.

"Let me mark you. Let us pledge to each other. You have my heart, will you allow the world to know?"

Mark's eyes widened, his jaw slackened.

Cristina sucked in a breath. Toth. Marriage. Kieran had just asked Mark to marry him. Her eyes flew between them, it seemed as if they'd forgotten her.

"Kieran are you asking—? I—"

Kieran smiled, turning to kiss Mark's palm.

"This was not how I wished to ask you. But before I could you were bargained away."

"Are you familiar with the Nephilim tradition of marriage?"

"It involves a ring correct?"

Mark nodded, he slid the Blackthorn ring off his finger, Cristina made a strangled sound.

"He'll die Kieran. Mark he can't stay here, especially with the Coldpeace still in effect."

Her protests fell on Mark's deaf ears. Kieran only shrugged, his eyes following as Mark took his left hand and slid the ring on.

Mark cupped his face, tears shinned in his eyes.

"In case that wasn't clear Princeling. The answer is yes. I want nothing more to be yours and you to be mine. I want the world to know."

Kieran beamed, pulling him into a kiss. This was not like the ones they had shared in the parking lot or the coat closet, this was sweet, slow, the type of kiss Kieran usually reserved for when they lay in each other's arms after making love. Mark's hand fisted in his shirt, trying to deepen the kiss. Kieran smiled, and pulled away. Gently making Mark loosen his grip.

"Not now. Later, we will have all of eternity my Beloved."

Mark felt a thrill shoot through him. Beloved. He was a Beloved now. Not a Lover. The Faerie equivalent of Fiancé. He stole a kiss before finally stepping away from Kieran.

He turned to Cristina. She looked liked she was chocking.

"Cristina, I hope you will come to understand. I hope you will come to see Kieran as perfect as I do."

Kieran rolled his eyes, he could careless what the blonde girl thought.

Cristina swallowed.

"Just remember we're far from out of the woods. We still need to stop The Followers. I'm going to go get Julian and Emma. I'll be back."

She turned and left the library.

Mark looked after her, Kieran kissed up his neck, slow nipping as he went.

"Kieran we can't... Not now."

Mark murmured in protest, but it sounded false in his ears.

"She's pretty and blonde. Maybe she would want me."

Mark laughed turning to his Beloved.

"She wanted me and now she will never have me, what makes you think she'll want you?"

Kieran shrugged, pressing him against a bookshelf. Mark's arms winding around him pulling him closer.

"Simple. She hates me, what's a better motivator for lust if not hate?"

Mark rolled his eyes, his hand coming to trace down Kieran's jaw.

"I can think of one, how about love?"

Kieran laughed, his teeth coming to tug on Mark's ear.

"The line between love and hate is dubious at best Beloved."

"Beloved,"

Mark whispered back, kissing him hard on the mouth. 

"Beloved, Beloved, Beloved. I'm never going to get tired of saying that."

Kieran laughed kissing him back softly, almost gently. He pulled back enough to whisper,

"Good because I'm never going to get tired of hearing it."

**Author's Note:**

> May add more chapters. One-shot for now. R&R!!


End file.
